Kerala Blasters’ injury woes continue to mount in the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) and the latest addition to the list is central defender Gianni Zuiverloon.
The injury to the Dutchman came at an unfortunate time for Blasters, who are already without ace defender Sandesh Jinghan and playmaker Mario Arques.
When Jinghan was ruled out of the sixth edition of the league with a knee injury barely five days before the season opener, head coach Eelco Schattorie’s Plan A for a successful ISL campaign fell by the wayside. The Yellow Brigade’s injury crisis worsened after Spanish midfielder Arques was stretchered off with a hamstring injury during the opening match against ATK, forcing the coach to look beyond his Plan B as well.
With Kerala Blasters scheduled to play tougher opponents like Bengaluru FC and FC Goa, the upcoming matches will test the side’s character.
Blasters are presently eighth on the 10-team table with three points from as many matches. The Yellow Brigade secured a hard-fought 2-1 win over ATK in the opening game, they lost to Mumbai City FC and debutants Hyderabad FC in the next two matches. Of course, it’s early days, but the team management will have to set the house in order at the earliest if Blasters have to keep their hopes of making it to the playoffs.
Lack of flair in the final third
Schattorie is an exponent of attacking football, and the coach’s philosophy was evident from the way Blasters played their last three matches. However, despite enjoying possession and attacking frequently, their inability to break down the opposition defence in the final third cost them dearly in the matches against Mumbai and Hyderabad.
Blasters flaunt a lethal forward line-up spearheaded by last year’s standout performer Bartholomew Ogbeche, but they lacked that little bit of composure and sharpness in front of the goal. Although the team could create some excellent chances in both matches, what let them down was a lack of efficiency and poor decision-making in the final third.
Unforced errors galore
The Kochi-based franchise have developed a reputation for unforced errors, a term commonly associated with tennis and badminton which refers to a mistake in play that is attributed to one's own failure rather than to the skill or effort of one's opponent. Blasters were the architects of their own destruction yet again on Saturday, carelessly squandering a well-earned lead to go down 1-2 at Hyderabad.
Forcing attacking midfielder Sergio Cidoncha to drop back into a defensive role against Hyderabad was a tactical blunder, to say the least. When Cidoncha, a player with an attacking mentality, continued to move up the field to help with offensive plays, it put an additional burden on holding midfielder Moustapha Gning. Moreover, the move upset the combination of Gning and Jeakson Singh in front of the defence. Until then the duo were helping out on the wings and dropping deep to prevent counter-attacks effectively. When Zuiverloon was injured, the pressure mounted on Gning and he eventually conceded a penalty after committing a ridiculous foul inside the box.
Listless midfield
Going into the sixth season, Blasters had fortified their midfield by signing several top-notch foreign players and domestic talents. However, the big names brought in to marshal the centre of the pitch have not lived up to the expectations so far.
The injury to Spaniard Arques, who was expected to hold the key to the team’s midfield solidity, unsettled the coach’s game plan. The absence of a playmaker of the calibre of Arques will continue to haunt the team. Although the decision to include Sahal Abdul Samad in the first eleven made a difference in the match against Hyderabad, Schattorie’s defensive options remain limited.
If Cidoncha, who has the quality to break any defensive barrier with short and quick passes in the final third, is dragged out of position, it will open up a channel of attack for the oppositions to expose in the coming matches. One can only hope that the team think-tank has learned from that mistake.
